Go to page

Go to page

Member

I'm just going to assume the worst for most of the companions and hope to be proven wrong. We're probably still getting Drack (yuck) the Krogan from the leaks so I've already lost faith there, unless they've changed the name or we're not even getting a Krogan anymore.

It just breaks immersion when we're expected to have these absolute contrarian characters to assist the human responsible for one of the most serious roles in the new galaxy. I hated it with the ensemble in Mass Effect 2 but at least there was a purpose to having a cast of misfits and weirdos. Here it just doesn't make any sense.

I'm just hoping for at least one clear-headed and unique, but relatively normal character in the squad.

Purple Drazi

I'm just going to assume the worst for most of the companions and hope to be proven wrong. We're probably still getting Drack (yuck) the Krogan from the leaks so I've already lost faith there, unless they've changed the name or we're not even getting a Krogan anymore.

It just breaks immersion when we're expected to have these absolute contrarian characters to assist the human responsible for one of the most serious roles in the new galaxy. I hated it with the ensemble in Mass Effect 2 but at least there was a purpose to having a cast of misfits and weirdos. Here it just doesn't make any sense.

I'm just hoping for at least one clear-headed and unique, but relatively normal character in the squad.

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.

Narrative:
- Andromeda Initiative consists of a Nexus (Citadel-like hub structure) and four species specific arks heading to Andromeda from the Milky Way shortly after the events of Mass Effect 2.
- Four arks are council race specific; Humans (Hyperion), Asari, Turina, and Salarian.
- Nexus is sent first, prior to the arks, and is staffed by an assortment of species. Among these include Krogan (who do not have their own personal ark), and Jen Garson (founder of the Andromeda Initiative). No other species (eg: Quarians, Vorcha, etc) confirmed yet.
- Each ark has a "pathfinder", a leader of sorts. You play as either male/female Ryder, a pathfinder for the humanity ark (Hyperion).
- Ryder siblings are the son/daughter of their father, who is an N7 soldier either on board the Hyperion or possibly the Nexus.
- As of writing, the Andromeda Initiative exists as a project simply to explore and colonise the Andromeda galaxy. The participants have no knowledge of or expectation for Reaper events.
- This was done to ensure character backstories are more diverse, such as their reasoning for embarking on the one way journey, instead of totally uniform "because Reapers".
- You may meet other Pathfinders (Salarian, Turian, Asari arks).

Gameplay:
- More than one "hub" to visit. Size/number unknown.
- Single player open class structure means more branching, diverse character builds. Not limited to a single "class". But focusing on specific skills/powers/abilities will unlock traditional class titled profiles, eg "Adept".
- Multiplayer uses tailored class specific builds and ability distribution like Mass Effect 3 (eg: Asari Adept).
- Multiplayer still has random loot drop crates to purchase, but can also purchase specific in-stock items from a virtual store (like Destiny).
- More open questing structure given narrative context, less weird like Mass Effect 2 and 3 where you'd go on tangent missions despite pressure from the main narrative. More contextually encouraging to do a variety of things, as "discovery" is at the frontline.
- Dialogue choices can be best described as head, heart, professional, casual, reminiscent of Alpha Protocol.
- Choices are still made and have impact, but the measuring is blurrier. Less rooted in the old binary stat measuring systems derived from KOTOR.
- Interrupts now called "narrative interactions", aimed at clearly identifying the action. Example given: "shoot" interrupt in hostage situation, indicating shooting the hostage-taker. Less ambiguity if it's a renegade/paragon choice, it's just a choice.
- More complex, ambiguous romance arcs via game systems.

Member

Narrative:
- Andromeda Initiative consists of a Nexus (Citadel-like hub structure) and four species specific arks heading to Andromeda from the Milky Way shortly after the events of Mass Effect 2.
- Four arks are council race specific; Humans (Hyperion), Asari, Turina, and Salarian.
- Nexus is sent first, prior to the arks, and is staffed by an assortment of species. Among these include Krogan (who do not have their own personal ark), and Jen Garson (founder of the Andromeda Initiative). No other species (eg: Quarians, Vorcha, etc) confirmed yet.
- Each ark has a "pathfinder", a leader of sorts. You play as either male/female Ryder, a pathfinder for the humanity ark (Hyperion).
- Ryder siblings are the son/daughter of their father, who is an N7 soldier either on board the Hyperion or possibly the Nexus.
- As of writing, the Andromeda Initiative exists as a project simply to explore and colonise the Andromeda galaxy. The participants have no knowledge of or expectation for Reaper events.
- This was done to ensure character backstories are more diverse, such as their reasoning for embarking on the one way journey, instead of totally uniform "because Reapers".
- You may meet other Pathfinders (Salarian, Turian, Asari arks).

Gameplay:
- More than one "hub" to visit. Size/number unknown.
- Single player open class structure means more branching, diverse character builds. Not limited to a single "class". But focusing on specific skills/powers/abilities will unlock traditional class titled profiles, eg "Adept".
- Multiplayer uses tailored class specific builds and ability distribution like Mass Effect 3 (eg: Asari Adept).
- Multiplayer still has random loot drop crates to purchase, but can also purchase specific in-stock items from a virtual store (like Destiny).
- More open questing structure given narrative context, less weird like Mass Effect 2 and 3 where you'd go on tangent missions despite pressure from the main narrative. More contextually encouraging to do a variety of things, as "discovery" is at the frontline.
- Dialogue choices can be best described as head, heart, professional, casual, reminiscent of Alpha Protocol.
- Choices are still made and have impact, but the measuring is blurrier. Less rooted in the old binary stat measuring systems derived from KOTOR.
- Interrupts now called "narrative interactions", aimed at clearly identifying the action. Example given: "shoot" interrupt in hostage situation, indicating shooting the hostage-taker. Less ambiguity if it's a renegade/paragon choice, it's just a choice.
- More complex, ambiguous romance arcs via game systems.

No knowledge of the Reapers is a good decision to make, but I do wonder if they'll be reintroduced to the series. I never felt like they closed that saga effectively (Harbinger for example, what happened there?) nor do I feel they even gave the Reaper threat a good chance to build. They were nowhere in Mass 2, and asides from some decent backdrops in 3 it almost feels like game technology wasn't where Bioware needed it to be to really deliver on the vision they'd been hinting at through Mass 1 and 2.

Of course, having the Reapers assault Andromeda potentially upsets players who believe their choices at the end of Mass 3 solved the threat once and for all, so it might be best to just abandon them and move on.

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.

No knowledge of the Reapers is a good decision to make, but I do wonder if they'll be reintroduced to the series. I never felt like they closed that saga effectively (Harbinger for example, what happened there?) nor do I feel they even gave the Reaper threat a good chance to build. They were nowhere in Mass 2, and asides from some decent backdrops in 3 it almost feels like game technology wasn't where Bioware needed it to be to really deliver on the vision they'd been hinting at through Mass 1 and 2.

I can't possibly know BioWare's full intentions, but everything I've read and heard on the grapevine implies that the Shepard + Reaper arc is done no matter what. If fans were unhappy with the conclusion the onus is on that team and what they made, and whatever legacy it leaves. Andromeda is very much about preserving the Mass Effect franchise without the baggage, good and bad, of the Shepard trilogy. It's all new territory from hereon out.

Member

I can't possibly know BioWare's full intentions, but everything I've read and heard on the grapevine implies that the Shepard + Reaper arc is done no matter what. If fans were unhappy with the conclusion the onus is on that team and what they made, and whatever legacy it leaves. Andromeda is very much about preserving the Mass Effect franchise without the baggage, good and bad, of the Shepard trilogy. It's all new territory from hereon out.

Yeah, I'd expect that too. I guess that depends on whether they consider the Reapers a part of the Shepard arc, or a core part of Mass Effect's universe itself. But unless they adopt the indoctrination theory (which seems unlikely) they're probably better off leaving them behind with Shepard.

Member

I can't possibly know BioWare's full intentions, but everything I've read and heard on the grapevine implies that the Shepard + Reaper arc is done no matter what. If fans were unhappy with the conclusion the onus is on that team and what they made, and whatever legacy it leaves. Andromeda is very much about preserving the Mass Effect franchise without the baggage, good and bad, of the Shepard trilogy. It's all new territory from hereon out.

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.

Yeah, I'd expect that too. I guess that depends on whether they consider the Reapers a part of the Shepard arc, or a core part of Mass Effect's universe itself. But unless they adopt the indoctrination theory (which seems unlikely) they're probably better off leaving them behind with Shepard.

Look at it like narrative baggage. Even if Reapers are considered part of the "Mass Effect universe" the moment they become a staple of a new narrative they will by association drag in context of events of the trilogy. The vibe I've gotten from gossip is all that stuff is dead and buried. If fans aren't happy, that's an issue within itself, but Andromeda is all about starting anew in the same way that Mass Effect 1 was a fresh experience.

Member

The fact that the arks were sent out before the events of ME3 doesn't sti well with me. Surely, somebody would have mentioned them ("there is hope for our species in another galaxy") when it seemed like Reapers were about to win in our galaxy. It's a lazy way to sidestep the ME3 ending(s).

Member

The fact that the arks were sent out before the events of ME3 doesn't sti well with me. Surely, somebody would have mentioned them ("there is hope for our species in another galaxy") when it seemed like Reapers were about to win in our galaxy. It's a lazy way to sidestep the ME3 ending(s).

I don't think so, really. They have no way of knowing if that project was a success or not, they had to assume the worst and approach things as if it failed. Besides, whether or not the species was still around in an entirely different galaxy doesn't really make any difference to what happened and wouldn't have changed anyone's outlook on the Reaper invasion.

Member

No knowledge of the Reapers is a good decision to make, but I do wonder if they'll be reintroduced to the series. I never felt like they closed that saga effectively (Harbinger for example, what happened there?) nor do I feel they even gave the Reaper threat a good chance to build. They were nowhere in Mass 2, and asides from some decent backdrops in 3 it almost feels like game technology wasn't where Bioware needed it to be to really deliver on the vision they'd been hinting at through Mass 1 and 2.

Of course, having the Reapers assault Andromeda potentially upsets players who believe their choices at the end of Mass 3 solved the threat once and for all, so it might be best to just abandon them and move on.

Purple Drazi

Within the context of Shepard's central focus on the war effort, I'm not particularly bothered no one told the Normandy team anything about the expedition. There are beautiful quiet moments in the recurring conversations with Anderson, Hackett, the Citadel Council, hell, even Udina, but Shepard being cheered-on to do what Shepard does best is the crux of most of those scenes.

Any of those particular characters who are in-the-know aren't entirely likely to pause in discussing the evacuation of major planets, the remembrance of forgotten love, etc. in order to name-drop the Pathfinder Initiative during the course of the five-to-ten-minute sequences we're given.

Whether or the project proves successful, it's five hundred ninety-nine years from relevance until you begin to discuss the philosophical angle involved in knowing fragments of our races may survive Reaper armageddon across the universe. And while Mass Effect plays frequent host to philosophical discord, I don't think it's the type of thing Steven Hackett is going to waste precious long-distance communications bandwidth on.

And that's another thing. Discussing it on open channels seems like a bad idea. Sure, Shepard encounters each of the galaxy's remaining political power players in-person, too, but generally speaking, whenever that happens there's a significant plot beat occurring which demands immediate attention.

not me

The fact that the arks were sent out before the events of ME3 doesn't sti well with me. Surely, somebody would have mentioned them ("there is hope for our species in another galaxy") when it seemed like Reapers were about to win in our galaxy. It's a lazy way to sidestep the ME3 ending(s).

I'm just going to assume the worst for most of the companions and hope to be proven wrong. We're probably still getting Drack (yuck) the Krogan from the leaks so I've already lost faith there, unless they've changed the name or we're not even getting a Krogan anymore.

Purple Drazi

Do bear in mind, Mac Walters mentions the team having cut a squadmate relatively late in development. In accordance with the leak there are seven squadmates in total. It is far from a bygone conclusion, but there is precedent to suppose that there may now be six.

Purple Drazi

I think there's always a chance PeeBee surprises people who have presently determined her to be intolerable. Conversely, those among us who enjoy her archetype might end up detesting her. Broad-strokes archetypes can only tell us so much, IMO.

Banned

Do bear in mind, Mac Walters mentions the team having cut a squadmate relatively late in development. In accordance with the leak there are seven squadmates in total. It is far from a bygone conclusion, but there is precedent to suppose that there may now be six.

Banned

I think there's always a chance PeeBee surprises people who have presently determined her to be intolerable. Conversely, those among us who enjoy her archetype might end up detesting her. Broad-strokes archetypes can only tell us so much, IMO.

Member

No more Paragon/Renegade system
-They want more nuance and subtlety and giving the player more opportunity to express themselves
-You can agree or disagree with someone without being punished or cornered into a paragon or renegade choice

I like when there are direct consequences when making Paragon or Renegade choices. It makes for a different experience when playing each way. We'll see how the game plays out.

Member

I'm just going to assume the worst for most of the companions and hope to be proven wrong. We're probably still getting Drack (yuck) the Krogan from the leaks so I've already lost faith there, unless they've changed the name or we're not even getting a Krogan anymore.

It just breaks immersion when we're expected to have these absolute contrarian characters to assist the human responsible for one of the most serious roles in the new galaxy. I hated it with the ensemble in Mass Effect 2 but at least there was a purpose to having a cast of misfits and weirdos. Here it just doesn't make any sense.

I'm just hoping for at least one clear-headed and unique, but relatively normal character in the squad.

Neo Member

Inspiration
-The (much improved) Mako of ME1, the loyalty missions of ME2, the multiplayer of ME3

Relationships/Characters
-There are more relationships in the game than any other Bioware game (as they noted fans make a big emphasis on romance in the games)

-The squadmate with the least amount of lines in Andromeda has more lines than the squadmate with the most amount of lines in ME3

-Emphasis that relationships don't just culminate in a sex scene, but rather characters can just want to get in the sack, while others are interested in long term relationships and others still aren't interested at all. Bioware wanted to capture more "shooting bottles with Garrus" moments in the game, of which there are plenty

Actually I think it makes a lot of sense. Someone has to look after the species in stasis and the journey to Andromeda is very long. Asari and Krogan are the only two species we know of in the current age which have a lifespan of 1000+ years and I don't think there are very many Krogan doctors. Asari doctors because of their lifespans

I think Sera gets a bad rep undeservedly. I understand those who might be put off on her at first glance but if you play through her loyalty missions and come to understand her more and her motivations she becomes a pretty complicated and interesting character for all her abrasive qualities. Plus her growth throughout the game and what we see of her in Trespasser is great, she seems to have matured and grown but still retained what made her her.

I think a character can be a little abrasive but still interesting and worth exploring

Member

The Nexus seems huuuuge why haven't we heard about it in the previous ME games? Something so huge should at least have been mentioned once. Unless it was built in secrecy which I don't know why? Unless this whole Andromeda thing is actually a project to escape the reapers.

Member

The Nexus seems huuuuge why haven't we heard about it in the previous ME games? Something so huge should at least have been mentioned once. Unless it was built in secrecy which I don't know why? Unless this whole Andromeda thing is actually a project to escape the reapers.

Let me preface this by saying I'm alone in this opinion and it's merely myself being nitpicky.

I've got nothing wrong with a Krogan on the team, it would be a nice addition since there wasn't one in ME3. I'm saying when you've got a universe full of characters having cool sounding names (Garrus Vakarian, Tela Vasir, Tevos, Urdnot Wrex, Bakara, Miranda Lawson) and then you throw in a name that could be inter-changeable with Bleck, Jeck, Greck, Treck it just doesn't invoke any kind of warm, interesting companion feelings. "hey guys, Drack is out back grabbing the combustion manifold" "Drack mind passing me a spare ammo clip?" "Over here Drack!"

It's grating in text, I can imagine how weird the in-game dialogue sounds using that name. I feel the same way about Peebee's nickname as well.

Oh, yeah, I'd definitely prefer no-one knows about the Reapers. They leave the Milky Way around Mass 2's time right? When the majority of the handful of people Shepard has tried to inform about the Reapers refuse to believe any of it.

Reapers travel in deep space though, and if the Milky Way civilizations have the technology to reach other galaxies then you can be absolutely certain that Reapers do as well. I'd always assumed that rather than harvesting the Milky Way every 50k years and then sleeping permanently until the next cycle, they probably move from galaxy to galaxy harvesting other civilizations. Maybe they don't. Maybe there are different groups that of Reapers that have claimed their own galaxies, in the way different species in our galaxy have claimed their own planets. Would Shepard's actions at the end of Mass 3 have affected all Reapers, absolutely everywhere? Were the events even happening at all, and we can be sure he wasn't indoctrinated? And heck, if adding Reapers to future games would make some players feel like their choice at the end of Mass 3 is now irrelevant, then what about the players who chose the Synthesis option not getting a synthetic Ryder? =P

Man, I bet Bioware had headaches discussing all of this at the start of Andromeda's development. A clean slate without Reapers definitely seems like the easiest option.

Honestly I'm happy no matter what Bioware decide - Reapers should be left behind with Shepard, or Reapers are as much a part of the Mass Effect universe as Turians, Asari, and Salarians are. I just feel like Mass 1 set them up as one of the most formidable and terrifying opponents in any game, and neither of the sequels managed to deliver on that. It's even weirder that Mass 3 never even had a proper showdown with them, even with Harbinger who had been built up as the "big bad". It all just ended in a really obscure fashion.

Do bear in mind, Mac Walters mentions the team having cut a squadmate relatively late in development. In accordance with the leak there are seven squadmates in total. It is far from a bygone conclusion, but there is precedent to suppose that there may now be six.

I'm saying when you've got a universe full of characters having cool sounding names (Garrus Vakarian, Tela Vasir, Tevos, Urdnot Wrex, Bakara, Miranda Lawson) and then you throw in a name that could be inter-changeable with Bleck, Jeck, Greck, Treck it just doesn't invoke any kind of warm, interesting companion feelings. "hey guys, Drack is out back grabbing the combustion manifold" "Drack mind passing me a spare ammo clip?" "Over here Drack!".

Member

The Nexus seems huuuuge why haven't we heard about it in the previous ME games? Something so huge should at least have been mentioned once. Unless it was built in secrecy which I don't know why? Unless this whole Andromeda thing is actually a project to escape the reapers.

not me

I think Sera gets a bad rep undeservedly. I understand those who might be put off on her at first glance but if you play through her loyalty missions and come to understand her more and her motivations she becomes a pretty complicated and interesting character for all her abrasive qualities. Plus her growth throughout the game and what we see of her in Trespasser is great, she seems to have matured and grown but still retained what made her her.

I think a character can be a little abrasive but still interesting and worth exploring

Sera is one of my favorite DAI characters because of this. She's not made to be instantly likable, is complex, doesn't just have a revelatory moment and change her opinion "because videogame characters", is not particularly smart, but has likable qualities that keep you invested in her.

The one thing I thought she was missing - growth in some direction from her contradictions and self-loathing - came in Trespasser.

Member

Do bear in mind, Mac Walters mentions the team having cut a squadmate relatively late in development. In accordance with the leak there are seven squadmates in total. It is far from a bygone conclusion, but there is precedent to suppose that there may now be six.

Purple Drazi

As with all the cast members, BioWare wanted to make sure everyone felt fresh and unique from past characters. The team even cut a squadmate later in development because they felt too much of a cross between past favorites. &#8220;Sometimes writers focus on the quirks or specific nuances of the character [thinking] that&#8217;s what&#8217;s going to make this character interesting,&#8221; Walters says. &#8220;Honestly, it&#8217;s a combination of a whole bunch of things, and what I say is rather than trying to make a really unique or memorable character through your writing, take a character who&#8217;s relatable and put them in a really unique situation and see how they react. That&#8217;s actually how I think you get the most interesting character development happening.&#8221;

Member

Sera is one of my favorite DAI characters because of this. She's not made to be instantly likable, is complex, doesn't just have a revelatory moment and change her opinion "because videogame characters", is not particularly smart, but has likable qualities that keep you invested in her.

The one thing I thought she was missing - growth in some direction from her contradictions and self-loathing - came in Trespasser.

Agreed, imo Bioware does a great job at writing complex characters that don't scream "pls love me!" right from the start. I absolutely hated Sera at first and thought she was ridiculous, but over time she really grew on me as I began to understand her more, and eventually became one of my favorites. The only concern I have about Peebee for now is her name. lol

Member

All other ME games had news or references to what was going on around the galaxy the whole time. You would think that a project like the Andromeda Initiative would have been mentioned more especially if they were building another big ass citadel.

After hearing how detested she was prior to playing it, I found her... entirely okay. By no means my favorite character, and she was a tad annoying at times, but I honestly didn't mind her. In fact, I had fun with her personal scenes, such as playing pranks on the others and sneaking around with her for some laughs in harsh contrast to my usual "proper" Inquisitor persona. She actually broke my no-nonsense hero out of his shell a bit.

Maybe "complex" isn't the right word for Sera, I guess flawed was more the word I was looking for. Really, she's actually quite simple and straightforward. While I found her abrasive and unpleasant at first, I eventually learned to appreciate her blunt, direct attitude. She doesn't hide behind politeness or pretty words, she just is who she is and doesn't waste time trying to be someone else. I'm not trying to lead the Sera defense force or anything though lol, I can certainly understand why some people would hate her and find her annoying.

The thing is, I like having characters that might rub people the wrong way. It feels more like real life, and it's better than a boring character imo. Like, I hate Vivienne. Completely hate her. But I find her fascinating. By the end of the game, I understood her, and could appreciate the writing that went into her character. As long as Bioware can do that, I'm okay with unlikable characters.

I never got that impression. In fact, many characters still have wildly different reactions to a Femshep than a Male one. In ME3, Wrex's conversation with her about not understanding women changes because he's actually talking to one and looking for a female perspective on handling Eve, for instance.

Member

Member

I think Sera gets a bad rep undeservedly. I understand those who might be put off on her at first glance but if you play through her loyalty missions and come to understand her more and her motivations she becomes a pretty complicated and interesting character for all her abrasive qualities. Plus her growth throughout the game and what we see of her in Trespasser is great, she seems to have matured and grown but still retained what made her her.

I think a character can be a little abrasive but still interesting and worth exploring

I agree. I was a hardcore Sera hater myself until I finally decided to have her tag along and do her missions. Reason I did this was because of her rapport with Blackwall (one of my favorite DAI characters). I empathized with her feelings on the "little people" caught in the middle of noble schemes and "ancient arseholes" lol. After finishing the Trespasser DLC with a high Sera approval,

accepting her Red Jenny offer and then getting a frickin' awesome crossbow arm in the credits